cycle 1 Flashcards
active citizenship
taking responsibility for society by joining in to bring about change.
advocacy
representing /supporting a person /organization by writing/speaking/acting on their behalf.
apathy
a lack of interest in a particular idea about there being no point in getting involved in politics, as nothing will change.
campaigning
actions/events organized by people to achieve a goal.
citizenship
being a citizen of a country and having rights and responsibilities that go with that country’s status.
democracy
a system of government where citizens vote to make decisions on how the country is run. can be representative, where citizens elect politicians to represent and make decisions for them. however, it can also be direct, where citizens make decisions themselves, such as a referendum.
government
the individuals elected to run the country, led in the UK by the prime minister[pm]
human rights
basic rights and freedoms to which all people are entitled, such as the right to life and the right to a fair trial
legislation
the collective terms of laws, for example, education legislation is the collection of laws referring to schools ,univercities ,etc
lobbying
people or groups attempting to persuade politicians to take up their cause, through methods such as meetings, petitions, and letters
political parties
official groups of politicians, activists, and members, each with their own ideologies, or ways of seeing society. Major political parties in the UK include Labour, the Conservatives, the liberal democrats, and the Brexit Party.
voter turnout
the number of voters who take part in an election, or ‘turn out’ to vote. often expressed as a percentage of all of those eligible to vote.
volunteering
when a person gives their own time to help other people, or a cause, without being paid
charities
local, national, or international groups, set up to help those in need. it is a specific legal term, with registered charities having tax benefits.
councillors
citizens elected to serve as politicians on local councils [local authorities]. they are normally members of political parties.
demonstration
a public meeting to march protesting about a particular issue.
elections
votes where citizens elect their politicians. for example, elections to the House of Commons are called general elections.
house of commons
an elected group[chamber] of 650 members of parliament [MPs] forming the lower house of parliament.
interest groups
an organization that tries to influence the government to adopt certain policies on a particular issue.
parliament
the institution of government in the UK. includes the House of Commons, the House of Lords[the upper house], and the Monarch.
petitions
a formal, written request, normally signed by many people, appealing for change on an issue. in recent years, online/e-petitions have become increasingly popular.
pressure groups
an organized group of people who take action together/ try to bring change to an issue.
public services
an organization funded by taxpayers and the government for public benefits, such as schools, hospitals, and the police.
taxation
the way the government funds its spending, by making citizens and businesses[taxpayers] pay fees and charges.
trade unions
a group of workers in the same profession/trade joining together to protect their rights. collectively, the country’s trade unions for the trade union congress[TUC].
voluntary groups
groups of people working together to help those in need/other good causes, often by providing services. they may or may not be charities.
courts
they are responsible for issues of justice in the UK. judges and juries will decide people’s innocence /guilt, sentencing them to punishment as appropriate.
crown prosecution service[CPS]
an independent body, funded by the government, which decides whether to prosecute[bring to court] cases in the UK. run by the director of public prosecutions[DPP].
judiciary
the collective name for judges and other legal officials within the legal system. includes magistrates, who oversee less serious cases.
jury
a group of local people chosen randomly to make a decision in a legal case.
justice
the fairness resulting from the application of law in society, usually overseen by the judge.
law
the rules governing society, coming in a wider range of categories, such as civil law, dealing with disputes, and criminal law. common laws refer to decisions made by judges over the years.
neighbourhood watch
local active citizens that monitor their local community and work with the police to report issues of concern.
police
the government organization responsible for maintaining public order through detecting and preventing crime. individual police forces are run by a chief constable and overseen by an elected police and crime commissioner.
tribunal
a decision-making body, similar to a court, designed to decide specific complaints/issues. for example, employment tribunals deal with disputes in the workplace.
victim of crime
a person who has suffered as a result of a crime being committed against them.
witness
someone with specific information about a crime, usually because they saw it, or something relevant to it, take place. witnesses are crucial to the correct administration of justice.
